The present invention relates to a die casting apparatus and method of use. More specifically, the present invention relates to die casting apparatus and method evidencing increased apparatus output including the ability of using multiple die tools. While the invention is described in particular with respect to die casting, those skilled in the art will recognize the wider applicability of the inventive concepts set forth hereinafter.
Die-casting is a popular manufacturing process because of its ability to cost-effectively produce complex parts while maintaining tight tolerances. Generally, the die-casting process begins by melting an appropriate material, such as zinc, aluminum, and magnesium alloys. Then, the molten material is injected into a die, using either a hot chamber or cold chamber method. The molten material is held under pressure within the die until it solidifies into a finished part. Next, the die opens and the part is ejected from the die. Subsequently, the die is cleaned and prepared for another cycle. Typically, this process can be cyclically repeated producing a new part about every 60 seconds.
Current designs of die-casting apparatus require a large amount of initial setup time before the production process begins, referred to as a production run. These designs are a result of efforts to automate and increase the speed of production runs. In spite of this, cycle times faster than the current standard of about 60 seconds are needed to better compete against other manufacturing methods. In addition, production runs using current designs are limited to using only one type of die at a time with each die producing the same part. Therefore, only large production runs of identical parts can be produced cost-effectively. In other words, it is not possible to cost-effectively produce either small production runs of parts or production runs of multiple parts.
Therefore, what is needed is a die-casting apparatus and method with faster cycle times that can cost-effectively produce both large and small runs of parts. Also, there is a need for a die-casting apparatus that can produce multiple parts during a single run.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.